Health Physicist (Open to Everyone) Job in Rockville, MD

Vacancy No. NMSS/MSST-2025-0002 Department Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Salary $139,395.00 to $181,216.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/21/2024 Close Date 11/11/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Rockville, MD


Summary

This position is located in the Office of Nuclear Material Safety & Safeguards, Division of Materials Safety, Security, State & Tribal Programs, Medical Safety & Events Assessment Branch.


The supervisor is Chris Einberg.

  
This  position is Bargaining Unit with the National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 208.

This position IS subject to Confidential Financial Disclosure reporting requirements.

This position IS subject to security ownership restriction reporting requirements.

Duties

A successful candidate will serve as a Health Physicist in NMSS in areas of radiation protection activities related to licensing and regulation of facilities and materials associated with the processing, transport, and handling of nuclear materials, including uranium recovery activities, decommissioning, and the fuel used in commercial nuclear reactors. Has responsibility for defining and developing needs, interfaces and resources for regulations and supporting guidance associated with the possession, use, transport, transfer, and disposal of byproduct, source, and special nuclear material. Provides technical review and management of projects which will generate health physics internal and external dosimetry models that are needed to develop criteria and standards to provide technical bases for licensing decisions. Interacts with Federal, State, and local agencies and organizations, national and international standards setting organizations, and members of the public to accomplish Agency mission and represent NRC actions as appropriate. The assignments are technically and managerially difficult and very complex in that knowledge and
experience are required in many multi-disciplinary scientific fields including health physics (internal and external dosimetry, environmental pathway analysis, nuclear instrumentation, radiation biology and physics) as well as statistics and/or epidemiology.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • This is a Drug Testing position.
  • Background investigation leading to a clearance is required for new hires.

You must meet the qualifications for this position by no later than 30 calendar days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GG-13) in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector.  

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

1. Broad and extensive knowledge of the principles, theories, and practices of health physics/radiological protection related to the licensing, inspection, and implementation of regulatory oversight pertaining to the National Materials Program to enable the safe and secure use of radioactive materials in medical, industrial, and academic applications for beneficial civilian purposes.

EXAMPLE: Describe your specific training, education and experience that demonstrates your knowledge of the principles, theory, and application of health physics sufficient to review associated plans, surveys, and reports; determine radiological and safety impacts of proposed decommissioning operations; and develop regulatory criteria, guidance, and technical positions.)

2. Knowledge of the principles and theories in the fields of health physics, including but not limited to radiation physics, radiation biology, internal and external dosimetry, radiation detection and measurement and/or medical health physics.

(EXAMPLE: Describe specific training, education, and experience that demonstrates an understanding of NRC rules and regulations, and regulatory programs related to radiation protection aspects in the licensing and inspection of byproduct, source, and special nuclear materials.  Discuss how the work you have been engaged in, such as managing projects, reviewing regulatory programs, developing licensing actions or policy, implementing regulations, and preparing guidance or technical reports, or participation in working groups lead to your understanding of regulatory programs and application of NRC regulations involving radiation protection issues.  Include an indication as to the approximate number, type, and complexity of the projects in which you have been involved that are related to the above regulations and regulatory programs.

3. Ability to plan, coordinate and manage complex projects and perform independent evaluations and reviews of programs involving a number of technical disciplines.

(EXAMPLE:  Describe your specific training and experience that demonstrates your ability to: formulate project goals and objectives; perform independent reviews or  development of safety, programmatic and/or policy issues; develop statements of work and project task plans; develop project resource estimates; evaluate proposals; evaluate and report progress against established milestones taking corrective action as required; review deliverables/project reports; complete projects within approved schedules while meeting objectives, and provide guidance and direction to personnel of diverse technical backgrounds for projects of high technical difficulty and complexity. Describe your experience in performing special, time-sensitive projects which resulted in high quality products.)

4. Ability to clearly communicate complex technical analyses, issues, and recommendations, both orally and in writing. 

(EXAMPLE:  Describe your specific training and experience that demonstrates your ability to: prepare safety and environmental evaluations, technical reports, and presentations; lead complex technical discussions; develop concise, balanced, and well-founded recommendations based on complex and diverse opinions and facts; establish effective working relationships with subordinates, peers, and government and industry officials; and develop and implement successful approaches to problem solving and conflict resolution.  Provide specific accomplishments, recognition and examples of work assignments which required you to present, coordinate, and resolve issues with representatives of Federal agencies, private industry, States, academia, elected officials, media, and members of the public.)

Specialized experience is defined as: experience applying the principles of nuclear safety, radiation protection, and NRC regulations and guidance related to the medical use of byproduct material.

Education

You must include an unofficial or official copy of your college and/or university transcripts with your application.  Transcript must include the School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). Education must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of credibility of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency.  If you have multiple degrees (e.g., BS, MS, PhD) please submit transcripts for each degree.  Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.ed.gov/accreditation.

Basic Requirements:

  1. Degree: natural science or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus.

    or

  2. Combination of education and experience -- courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or other education; or certification as a health physicist by the American Board of Health Physics, plus appropriate experience and other education that provided an understanding of sciences applicable to health physics comparable to that described in paragraph A.

Additional information

The duty location of this position is Rockville, MD. In general, employees are expected to be in the office at a minimum of 4 days per pay period.  Telework schedules, including full-time telework, are approved, on a case-by-case basis. If selected, telework will be determined in accordance with Agency policy and the Collective Bargaining Agreement, if applicable.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

As an NRC employee you will enjoy excellent Federal Benefits, including:

  • Comprehensive health and life insurance plans
  • Flexible Spending Account Program for health and dependent care
  • Dental and Vision Insurance
  • Retirement savings and investment plan similar to 401(k) (Thrift Savings Plan)
  • Annual (vacation) and paid sick leave
  • Family friendly leave policies
  • 11 paid holidays per year; transit benefits

This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees. https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

When the application process is complete, your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the job requirements.  You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to any vacancy questions to determine your level of knowledge, skill and ability related to the job requirements.  If you are among the top candidates for this position, your application will be referred to the hiring manager.

Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position.  Therefore, we encourage you to submit a thorough resume that directly relates to this position.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

List of supplemental material that may be applicable:

If you are an NRC employee, you are required to submit your most recent Rating of Record (Performance Appraisal) or a statement saying that one is not available. Additionally, you must also submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action).

If you are a current/reinstatement eligible Federal employee with status (Tenure Group 1 or 2), you will be considered under our merit promotion procedures and must submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) to verify competitive status or reinstatement eligibility.  

Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; Current Active Duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter.)  You can find additional information about Veterans' Preference at http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.

NOTE: Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to any vacancy questions, and if necessary, documents which prove your eligibility to apply. To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder. If you choose to use your own resume, please ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. 

  1. Job title
  2. Name of employer
  3. Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/year) format
  4. Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
  5. Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable).
  6. Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position).

If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, please submit your transcript OR list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses along with the course credits in your resume. Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications. 

You are applying for a position that requires a college degree, you must submit your College Transcripts.

All supplemental documents will now be collected electronically and should be submitted before the closing date of this vacancy announcement.  You have three choices for submitting your supplemental documents:

1.  Use the "USAJOBS" feature to download documents from your USAJOBS portfolio; or
2.  use the "Upload" feature to upload documents directly from your computer.  The following types of documents can be uploaded:  .gif, .jpeg, .png, .rtf, .pdf, and .doc; or
3. use the "Fax" feature to print the Fax Cover Sheet and fax it, along with your supplemental documents to 1-571-258-4052.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

We strongly encourage you to complete your USAJOBS profile before you submit your application for this position.

Please read the entire announcement.  Your application for this vacancy must be received online via the USAJOBS application system BEFORE 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to submit a complete online application, you will not be considered for this position.

Paper applications will not be accepted unless hardship circumstances can be demonstrated. Requests for extensions WILL NOT be granted. If applying online poses a hardship for you, the Human Resources Specialist listed on the announcement will provide assistance to ensure that applications are submitted online by the closing date. Applicants must contact the Human Resources Specialist during business hours BEFORE the closing date of the announcement and speak to someone who can provide assistance for your online submission.

You must answer any job specific vacancy questions. You will be rated based on your responses to any vacancy questions and especially the information provided in your resume. Breadth, recency, and length of experience in the field; training, awards, and commendations; past and current performance; and community or outside professional activities will be considered to determine your level of knowledge, skill or ability for this position. Abbreviated responses to the vacancy questions, such as “significant experience” or “see resume” do not provide enough information and should not be used. You will not be considered for this position if you leave any of the vacancy questions unanswered.


To begin the application process, select the "Apply On-line" button to the right on this screen. Then follow the prompts to login/register, submit all required supplemental documents, and complete the application process.

Agency contact information

Kreslyon Valrie
Phone
(301)287-0714
TDD
240-428-3217
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
Kreslyon.Valrie@nrc.gov
Website
https://www.nrc.gov
Address
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer
Washington, District of Columbia 20555
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You may check the status of your application at any time after the announcement closes by logging onto USAJOBs and selecting "Application Status."


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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